Nowadays people make use of many electronic devices on a daily basis, for example mobile telephones, GPS navigation systems, radios, MP3 players, PDAs, laptop computers, digital cameras and many other devices. It is a common interest for manufacturers to reduce the size of the circuits controlling the devices since the users are interested in small lightweight devices, which can easily be carried around. Additionally, there is an interest in combining devices together so that a single device can replace multiple devices. Thus a person can carry a single lightweight device, which performs the functions of a plurality of devices that they previously carried around.
In order to miniaturize the devices manufacturers produce hybrid circuits or multi-chip modules which provide the complete functionality of the device in a single chip or miniaturized package. Integration of a full device into a single chip or package is generally advantageous in terms of cost, size, weights power consumption and other factors.
One problem faced by manufacturers is integration of a full wireless system (e.g. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, mobile telephone) into a single hybrid circuit package. Generally, the manufacturers integrate all circuit elements of the device into a single chip or hybrid circuit encapsulation except the antenna. The antenna is generally excluded because it is subject to size constraints in order to provide satisfactory performance. Additionally, the antenna is subject to interference, from the circuit and to low gain because of the circuit and the packaging.
US patent application publication No. 2006/0256018 to Soler Castany et al. published on Nov. 16, 2006, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, describes an integrated circuit package including a miniature elongated antenna, which is placed alongside the integrated circuit inside the package.